The man, The myth, The Legend that is Pat Hynes has over on Ankle Biting Pundits has continued with his career record in utter wrongology. But before I get into Pat’s continual wrongology lets start of with a serving of Al-Drudge

Facing a loss at a 2008 straw poll event this weekend, Senator John McCain of Arizona told his supporters to write in President Bush [?] as a sign of support, leaving many sputtering. “For the next three years, with our country at war, he’s our president and the only one who needs our support,” McCain told nearly 2,000 party activists from 26 states gathered in Memphis. McCain, realizing the national political media had descended on the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, moved to discredited the straw poll by asking delegates to vote for Bush, insiders claim.Are the “Insiders” Frist people since Frist set it up to run the table in his own home town? Sure… I will freely give that point away. But does it make them wrong? Lets face it Bush is getting beat up on in the media like he is facing the LAPD. But Frist ran the table on this, so if you want a chance to be a viable candidate in 08.This way you show you back the boss, who is still popular with the party faithful (for reasons *I* can’t fathom –if the polls are right-) without damaging your own credibility.And who would the Frist folks have to blame to derail this? Why John “I’m ready for my close up Mr. Blitzer” McCain. If this Write-in-Bush campaign had worked the story would be “McCain gives the president a shot in the arm” but what adds to the ammo for the Frist team is McCain isn’t perceived as a true believer by the many out their in GOP land.From the NYT article“Straw polls are entertaining, my friends, even extremely early ones,” Mr. McCain said in remarks that were prepared for delivery Friday night and that aides distributed with undisguised glee. “But I think we have bigger things to worry about. So if any friends here are voting for me, please don’t. Just write in President Bush’s name. For the next three years, with the country at war, he’s our president, and the only one who must have our support today.”These remarks show McCain striking out against the straw poll. If he really was doing this to be pro Bush he needed to say this:

So if any friends here are voting for me, please don’t. Just write in President Bush’s name. For the next three years, with the country at war, he’s our president, and the only one who must have our support today. There will be time for politics and debating over the heart and soul of our party, but now we as a party need to show our solidarity with the President.”

The bolded part was mine. McCain showed his phoniness as he often does when he tries to play politics and gets a media pass.

But back to the side of Al-Drudge for a moment

One activist said, “McCain voted against all the Bush tax cuts… maybe he should have voted for the president then, instead of waiting for a political stunt to try and distract.”If McCain had let some of the other leaders (southern leaders) of the party taken the point on this effort he’d have been fine. But as this shows he was more often a boil weevil to the party faithful and this stinks to them.Now off to the PMSNBCNow had McCain wanted to preserve himself he would have done what Rudy didThe missing manAnd there’ll be a key missing man at Memphis: former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who according to a CNN/USA Today/ Gallup poll last month, is a favorite of Republicans, getting 33 percent with McCain right behind him at 28 percent and other GOP contenders trailing in single digits.Whether Giuliani would play as a GOP primary candidate remains for now only an intriguing speculation. But for his future rivals’ “opposition research” teams, there’s a wealth of material, especially on one of today’s hot button issues for GOP base voters: immigration.Had Rudy and McCain not shown up it would have sucked far more hot air out of the Frist fest in the eyes of the Media. So we know Johnny Mac went there to win and found out he couldn’t…. but now to what I intended to do

Kick Pat’s analysis of the events.But why is Frist lashing out at McCain? I first reported this story based on information I received from conferees who were not McCain partisans almost 12-hours before Sen. McCain endorsed the measure. And why not lash out at Gov. Barbour and Sen. Graham, both of whom are mentioned as presidential aspirants?No matter. The movement has gripped Memphis. And it appears the only thing holding the Southern Republican Leadership Conference back from a powerful vote of confidence in President George W. Bush is Sen. Bill Frist’s petty ambitions.I already addressed Frist kicking McCain but let’s go to Pat for a moment

Pat has been one of the “Pundit class” members who have been massaging conservatives about McCain. The “Only McCain can beat Hillary” stuff has come from some camps but Pat has gone in with the almost insider coup that has McCain nuzzling up to the Bush campaign money list. So I think Pat has gotten sucked into the McCain Zone as opposed to some of the earlier folk he has talked up (Senator Brownback). You notice Olde Venerable elephant Haley Barbour is jumping in as is Lindsey “Johny McCain of the South” are on this like white on rice. Trent Lott who well….. Trent has plenty of reason to want to see Frist get a solid political beat down.

But Pat went further to embarrass himself in his pro-establishmentistaismAccording to my sources, the Hotline folks have colluded with representatives from Sen. Bill Frist’s organization to alter the straw poll ballots to allow attendees at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference a second choice. Why? Because the “write in Bush” vote of confidence campaign had apparently gained so much momentum that it became clear a majority of voters would indeed write in the president’s name.Of course he did Pat, but that’s because Frist isn’t as foolish as McCain was. He and Johnny Mac have both put the president under the train. This way Frist gets to advance his presidential chances and get a big warm fuzzy cuddly going on. McCain wanted to play games so Frist has gone and took it up a notch.I am told lots of MSM types — no fans of President Bush — are scratching their heads at Hotline’s rather un-democratic move to deny the president a show of support from his fellow Republicans.BS pat don’t use the University definition of “democracy” lets use a real one. A straw poll about a race George Bush CANNOT run for …it frankly is Undemocratic to write him in. It suppresses the democratic system the straw polls are designed for. Guiding the party to find a new leader for the new elections thus writing in some one who can’t run is undemocratic.What would be the “democratic” solution? Put up a vote of confidence in the Presidency of George W. Bush and then go on to the Straw poll….or maybe Frist knows Bush would lose a vote of Republicans on something real, so give him a vote on something fake which is meaningless…. Yes clearly that is a good idea to.Pat stop being so establishment and grip reality. Frist invited everyone to his house to watch him showboat. Then the king of Showboating Johnny Mac decided to out showboat him. Other people jumped on because they know Frist is the guy in a circle of friends no one likes. So Frist found a way to win in the showboating contest while saying “me too guys”And Rudy was the smart one by saying “forgetaboudit”